Present Continuous (/ am doing) 2 Study this example situation: Ann is in her car. She is on her way to work She is driving to work This means: she is driving now, at the time of speaking. The action is not finished. Amiis/are -ing is the present continuous: T am (= I'm) driving helshelit is (=he's, etc.) working welyoulthey are (= we'te, etc.) doing, etc. Tam doing something = I'm in the middle of doing something; I’ve started doing it and I haven't finished yet. Often the action is happening at the time of speaking: Please don’t make so much noise. I'm working. (not I work) “Where's Lauren?” “She's taking a bath.” (not She takes a bath) Let’s go out now. It isn't raining anymore. (not It doesn’t rain) (at a party) Hello, Lisa, Are you enjoying the party? (not Do you enjoy) I'm tired. I'm going to bed now. Good night! Bur the action is not necessarily happening at the time of speaking. For example: Tom and Ann are talking. Tom says: BLL, Pm reading an interesting book at the moment. NW Millend it to you when P’ve finished it. : Tom is not reading the book at the time of speaking. | He means that he has started it but has not finished it yet. He is in the middle of reading it. i Here are some more examples: Maria wants to work in Italy, so she is studying Italian. (but perhaps she isn’t studying Italian exactly at the time of speaking) Some friends of mine are building their own house. ‘We use the present continuous when we talk about things happening in a period around now (for example, today / this week / tonight, etc) “You're working hard today.” “Yes, I have a lot to do.” (not You work hard today) “Is Sarah working this week?” “No, she’s on vacation.” The population of the world is rising very fast. (not rises) Is your English getting better: ‘We use the present continuous when we talk about changes happening now or around now: | iot Does your English get better?) rr eeoa 12 13 14 15 Exercises UNIT Complete the sentences using one of the following verbs in the correct form. 7 come get happen look make start stay try work 1. “You _* ng hard today.” “Yes, I have a lot to do.’ 21 for Christine. Do you know where she is? 3. It dark. Should I turn on the light? 4, They don’t have anywhere to live at the moment. They with friends until they find a place. 5. “Ann! Let’s go!” “OK, I > 6. Do you have an umbrella? It to rain. 7. You a lot of noise. Could you please be quieter? 8. Why are all these people here? What ? Use the words in parentheses to complete the questions. Js Brad workin this week?” “No, he’s on vacation.” (Brad / work) 1 2. Why at me like that? What's the matter? (you / look) 3. “Jenny is a student at the university.” “Is she? What 2” (she / study) 4 to the radio, or can I turn it off? (anybody / listen) 5. How is your English? better? (it / get) Put the verb into the correct form. Sometimes you need the negative (I'm not doing, etc.). 1, Pmtired. I_m going (go) to bed now. Good night! 2. We can go out now. It _isn# raining (rain) anymore. 3. Laura phoned me last night. She’s on vacation in France. She (have) a great time and doesn’t want to come back. 4, Lwant to lose weight, so this week I (eat) lunch. 5. Angela has just started evening classes. She (study) German, 6. Ithink Dave and Amy had an argument. They (speak) to each oth Read this conversation between Brian and Sarah. Put the verbs into the correct form. Sarah: Brian! I haven't seen you in ages. What (1) _are you doing (you / do) these days? Brian: (train) to be a police officer. Sarab: Really? What's it like? (3) (you / enjoy) it? Brian: It’s all right. How about you? Sarah: Well, actually, 1 (4) (not / work) right now. 1(5) (try) to find a job, but it’s not easy. But I'm pretty busy. 1/6) ae — (paint) my apartment. Brian: (7) (you / do) it alone? Sarab: No, some friends of mine (8) (help) me. Complete the sentences using one of these verbs: change fall get increase rise You don’t have to use all the verbs, and you can use a verb more than once, The cost of living Every year things are more expensive The economic situation is already very bad, and it worse, 1. The population of the world is rising _ very fast. 2. Robert is still sick, but he better slowly. 3. The world - Things never stay the same. 4. ss(lam doing and I do) CID esnt continuous (am dong) | “We use the present continuous for something that is happening at or around the time of speaking. The action is not finished, | Lam doing | past now Future | The water is boiling. Could you turn it hoff? Listen to those people. What language are they speaking? | Let’s go out. It isn’t raining now. | A: Don't disturb me. I'm busy. |B: Why? Whar are you doing? 'm going to bed now. Good night. J) © Maria is in Vancouver now. She's | learning English Use the present continuous for temporary J) situations Tm living with some friends until I find | an apartment. “You're working hard today.” “Yes, I've got a lot to do.” See Unit 1 for more information. IPT always do and I'm always doing Present Continuous and Simple Present (1) Simple present (L-do) We use the simple present for things in general or things that happen repeatedly. Ido past Tow Fitri ‘Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. Excuse me, do you speak English? It doesn’t rain very much in the summer. ‘What do you usually do on weekends! What do you do? (= What's your job?) always go to bed before midnight. Most people learn to swim when they are children Use the simple present for permanent situations: ‘My parents live in Boston. They have lived there all their lives. John isn’t lazy. He works very hard most of the time. See Unit 2 for more information. T) Usually we say “I always do something” (= Ido it every time): 1 always go to work by car (not I'm alwa ys going) F You can also say “I'm always doing something,” but this has a different meaning, For example: | | | | Present Continuous and Simple Present (2) Unit 4 Pye lost my key again. P’m always losing things. “P'm always losing things” does not mean that I lose things every time. It means that I lose things too often or more often than normal. ‘You're always -ing means that you do something very often, more often than the speaker thinks is normal or reasonable. You're always watching TV. You should do something more active John is never satisfied. He's always complaining. Present Tenses with a Future Mes Jing Unit 18